Performance Standards

TABLE 16: CATEGORY 6A U/UTP PERFORMANCE STANDARDS (TIA 568 C.2)

MHz

Insertion
Loss (dB)
Channel/Link

NEXT (dB)
Channel/
Link

PSum
NEXT (dB)
Channel/Link

ACRF
(dB)
Channel/Link

PSum ACRF
(dB)
Channel/Link

Return
Loss (dB)
Channel/Link

2.3/1.9

65.0/65.0

62.0/62.0

63.3/64.2

60.3/61.2

19.0/19.1

4.2/3.5

63.0/64.1

60.5/61.8

51.2/52.1

48.2/49.1

19.0/21.0

5.8/5.0

58.2/59.4

55.6/57.0

45.2/46.1

42.2/43.1

19.0/21.0

10

6.5/5.5

56.6/57.8

54.0/55.5

43.3/44.2

40.3/41.2

19.0/21.0

16

8.2/7.0

53.2/54.6

50.6/52.2

39.2/40.1

36.2/37.1

18.0/20.0

20

9.2/7.8

51.6/53.1

49.0/50.7

37.2/38.2

34.2/35.2

17.5/19.5

25

10.2/8.8

50.0/51.5

47.3/49.1

35.3/36.2

32.3/33.2

17.0/19.0

31.25

11.5/9.8

48.4/50.0

45.7/47.5

33.4/34.3

30.4/31.3

16.5/18.5

62.5

16.4/14.1

43.4/45.1

40.6/42.7

27.3/28.3

24.3/25.3

14.0/16.0

100

20.9/18.0

39.9/41.8

37.1/39.3

200

30.1/26.1

34.8/36.9

31.9/34.3

250

33.9/29.5

33.1/35.3

300

37.4/32.7

31.7/34.0

400

43.7/38.5

500

49.3/43.8

23.3/24.2

20.3/21.2

12.0/14.0

17.2/18.2

14.2/15.2

9.0/11.0

30.2/32.7

15.3/16.2

12.3/13.2

8.0/10.0

28.8/31.4

13.7/14.6

10.7/11.6

7.2/9.2

28.7/29.9

25.8/27.1

11.2/12.1

8.2/9.1

6.0/8.0

26.1/26.7

23.2/23.8

9.3/10.2

6.3/7.2

6.0/8.0

NOTE: Propagation Delay is 555 nanoseconds for channel/498 nanoseconds for link tested at 10 MHz.
NOTE: Delay Skew is 50 nanoseconds for channel/44 nanoseconds for link tested at 10 MHz.

TABLE 17: CATEGORY 6 U/UTP PERFORMANCE STANDARDS (TIA 568 C.2)

MHz

Insertion
Loss (dB)
Channel/Link

NEXT (dB)
Channel/
Link

PSum
NEXT (dB)
Channel/Link

ACRF
(dB)
Channel/Link

PSum
ACRF (dB)
Channel/Link

Return
Loss (dB)
Channel/Link

2.1/1.9

65.0/65.0

62.0/62.0

63.3/64.2

60.3/61.2

19.0/19.1

4.0/3.5

63.0/64.1

60.5/61.8

51.2/52.1

48.2/49.1

19.0/21.0

5.7/5.0

58.2/59.4

55.6/57.0

45.2/46.1

42.2/43.1

19.0/21.0

10

6.3/5.5

56.6/57.8

54.0/55.5

43.3/44.2

40.3/41.2

19.0/21.0

16

8.0/7.0

53.2/54.6

50.6/52.2

39.2/40.1

36.2/37.1

18.0/20.0

20

9.0/7.9

51.6/53.1

49.0/50.7

37.2/38.2

34.2/35.2

17.5/19.5

25

10.1/8.9

50.0/51.5

47.3/49.1

35.3/36.2

32.3/33.2

17.0/19.0

31.25

11.4/10.0

48.4/50.0

45.7/47.5

33.4/34.3

30.4/31.3

16.5/18.5

62.5

16.5/14.4

43.4/45.1

40.6/42.7

27.3/28.3

24.3/25.3

14.0/16.0

100

21.3/18.6

39.9/41.8

37.1/39.3

23.3/24.2

20.3/21.2

12.0/14.0

200

31.5/27.4

34.8/36.9

31.9/34.3

17.2/18.2

14.2/15.2

9.0/11.0

250

35.9/31.1

33.1/35.3

30.2/32.7

15.3/16.2

12.3/13.2

8.0/10.0

NOTE: Propagation Delay is 555 nanoseconds for channel/498 nanoseconds for link at 10 MHz.
NOTE: Delay Skew is 50 nanoseconds for channel/44 nanoseconds for link for all frequencies.

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TABLE 18: CATEGORY 5E U/UTP PERFORMANCE STANDARDS (TIA 568 C.2)

MHz

Insertion
Loss (dB)
Channel/Link

NEXT (dB)
Channel/
Link

PSum
NEXT (dB)
Channel/Link

2.2/2.1

>60/>60

>57/>57

57.4/58.6

54.4/55.6

17.0/19.0

4.5/3.9

53.5/54.8

50.5/51.8

45.4/46.6

42.4/43.6

17.0/19.0

6.3/5.5

48.6/50.0

45.6/47.0

39.3/40.6

36.3/37.5

17.0/19.0

10

7.1/6.2

47.0/48.5

44.0/45.5

37.4/38.6

34.4/35.6

17.0/19.0

16

9.1/7.9

43.6/45.2

40.6/42.2

33.3/34.5

30.3/31.5

17.0/19.0

20

10.2/8.9

42.0/43.7

39.0/40.7

31.4/32.6

28.4/29.6

17.0/19.0

25

11.4/10.0

40.3/42.1

37.3/39.1

29.4/30.7

25.4/27.7

16.0/18.0

31.25

12.9/11.2

38.7/40.5

35.7/37.5

27.5/28.7

24.5/25.7

15.1/17.1

62.5

18.6/16.2

33.6/35.7

30.6/32.7

21.5/22.7

18.5/19.7

12.1/14.1

100

24.0/21.0

30.1/32.3

27.1/29.3

17.4/18.6

14.4/15.6

10.0/12.0

ACRF
(dB)
Channel/Link

PSum
ACRF (dB)
Channel/Link

Return
Loss (dB)
Channel/Link

NOTE: Propagation Delay is 555 nanoseconds for channel/498 nanoseconds for link at 10 MHz.
NOTE: Delay Skew is 50 nanoseconds for channel/44 nanoseconds for link for all frequencies.

Documentation
Document each channels performance for the criteria listed above, the test date, the name(s) of
the test personnel and the equipment used (manufacturer, model number and calibration date).
Record (or download if the equipment has that function) the test results and store them with the
as-built drawings. Keep hard copies of the documentation in the telecommunication or
equipment room.
Twisted Pair Troubleshooting
Fail Wiremap
This error is caused by improperly wired connectors and is easily discovered and repaired.
Most test sets will display a graphic representation of the problem (see Figure 52). Fix wiremap
problems by inspecting and correcting miswired termination hardware.

Figure 52: Wiremap Test Set Display

Correct
display

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Crossed
pairs

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Pin 1
not connected

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Miswiring
T568B to
T568A

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Fail Length (test set 10%)

This occurs when a link exceeds 90 meters; links sometimes grow as cable may not be
placed exactly as planned. Check if the master/meter is set for the correct Nominal Velocity of
Propagation (NVP) of the cable being tested. For instance, a non-plenum cable has a lower
NVP than a plenum cable.
If the test set is correctly set and the length test still fails, the system may have to be redesigned
to eliminate the cable links that are too long. If system redesign is not possible, retest to ensure
the cable passes all other parameters. This link may be limited to slower equipment or services.
Fail Crosstalk or Return Loss (RL)
Fail crosstalk may be caused by several situations. The quickest check is to make sure that the
test set is set up for the correct Category (5e or 6) of cable. Another very common reason is
untwist at the connector.
If the test set displays a distance to the failure, check that location for bends tighter than the
minimum bend radius or for overly-tight cable ties. Check for kinks in conduit; the inside diameter
of conduit decreases as it is bent, and these bends may be crushing the cable. If the distance to
the failure is shown to be less than 3 meters, re-terminate the connection on the failing end.

102 www.commscope.com

If re-termination does not solve the problem, swap the locations of the test set and the remote

and test the link from the opposite end. If the failure follows the test equipment (i.e. the failure
was at the remote end and after switching locations is still at the remote end), the problem is
the meter interface cable. If the problem location doesnt move with the equipment, try
replacing the outlet. If that fails, it may be that the installation caused cable damage and the
cable may need to be replaced.
Fail Insertion Loss
Using the wrong category of cable or incorrect category of termination jack are two causes of
this problem. It is corrected by installing the correct category of cable/hardware. Another
common cause is that the cable is too long (see Fail Length).
Post-testing Problems
Some problems appear only when the active equipment is attached. These are a little more
difficult to troubleshoot and repair.
Failure to Link (link light does not come on)
This failure can have numerous causes; the most obvious is that the cabling cannot support the
application. If the correct cable is being used, troubleshooting becomes more complex.
If installation testing rules out wiremap problems, the most likely solution is that improper
patching has produced an incomplete circuit path. Disconnect the equipment at the
telecommunications room and the work area prior to testing the circuit path. Attach a tone
generator to the cable in question and use an inductive probe to check for tone at the far end.
If tone is detected, then the link is continuous. If tone is not detected, the link is not continuous
and each segment of the link must be tested until the broken segment is found.
If the circuit is continuous, use a tester with a noise check test to see if this is the problem.
Note that too much noise is relative; the noise floor varies with the application. If the noise
floor is too great for the application, the only option is to re-route the cable to avoid the noise
source (i.e. fluorescent lights, high-voltage electrical cable, etc.).
Other problems
If the link light is on but the circuit is not working, the cause could be that the horizontal cable is
too short and the receiver is being overpowered by too strong a signal. Solve this by using
excessively long patch cables at either end of the link to add extra insertion loss to the circuit.
Another possibility is that the cable is fine but the active equipment is improperly configured.
Check the active to ensure proper configuration.
Fiber Optic Testing
Testing is especially important when confirming the optical loss for a fiber optic system. The
power loss budget is the allowable system loss between the transmitter and receiver. System
gain, transmitter power and receiver sensitivity all influence the power loss budget.
Take, for example, a link of 500 meters (1640 feet) with three connector pairs (crossconnect,
patch panel and desktop). The TIA maximum loss allowance for a connector pair is .75 dB.
Adding the fiber loss (3.0 dB/m x 0.5 km = 1.5 dB) to the loss from three connector pairs
(.75 dB max x 3 = 2.25 dB) establishes a calculated total loss of 3.75 dB (1.5 + 2.25). It is
possible for a link to deliver more power than the rx end can handle (called saturation). In this
case, a device called an attenuator is installed at the rx end to add loss to the system.
While standards such as TIA/EIA568C.3 provide baseline performance level of components,
there are many options in todays market that provide significantly higher performance levels in
order to achieve high data rate performance with more connector pairs and/or at an extended
distance. Therefore, one cannot simply refer to the standards for what should be expected in the
field.
For example, a manufacturer may specify a 0.5 dB maximum (vs. 0.75 dB allowable by TIA)
for factory terminated LC connectors. Therefore a point-to-point link should see a maximum loss
of 1.0 dB for the two connector pairs, which is less than the 1.5 dB allowable by the
Standards. This issue arises frequently in the data center when examining the expected loss of
an MPO to LC module. Although the module creates a situation with 2 connector pairs, the loss
is typically specified at well below the maximum allowable by the Standards.
Determining the expected loss can become complicated, and CommScope has a link loss
calculator available to provide its business partners with expected loss based upon distance,
fiber type and connectivity. A calculator can take into account statistical data to provide a more
accurate picture of what the system test results should look like.

www.commscope.com 103

Figure 53: www.myCommScope.com, Link Loss Calculation

Test equipment today has become very sophisticated and can often calculate expected loss
values based upon standards provided values. Although valuable, the allowable loss based
upon the standards may be higher then what the system should actually experience based
upon the product specifications. It is recommended to use a link loss calculator based upon
the manufacturers product performance beyond just the standards baseline requirements.
During the testing process, you are very likely to have test results that initially are not passing.
The good news is that an initial test failure does not guarantee that the product is faulty. With
optical fiber testing, simply cleaning both the test cord and the behind-the-wall connector will
ensure that dirt and dust will not adversely affect the test results. If a failing result is obtained,
one should clean both the system connector and test lead before investigating further.
Most issues can be resolved by cleaning the connectors.
There are many devices that can be used to clean connectors and adapters. It is very important
to have the correct cleaning device for the component being cleaned. Dirt can be removed from
the endface of connector utilizing a cleaning tape, often within a cassette that allows for automatic
rotation of that tape to a clean each time it is used. Even connectors that are behind-the-wall
are accessible with cleaning sticks that are sized for the appropriate ferrule diameter. Cleaning
and inspection kits can be purchased that contain all of the cleaning supplies as well as a
microscope to examine the endface of the connector for dirt and scratches.
IMPORTANT: Before looking at the endface of a connector through a microscope always
make sure that the link is unplugged from the transmitter and that no optical power can
be directed towards your eye.

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Fiber optic links should be tested for continuity and attenuation. The methods for fiber testing are
1. using an OLTS (Optical Loss Test Set), which includes a hand-held power meter to measure
the power of a light source connected to the opposite end of the link
2. visual inspection with a Visual Fault Locator (VFL)
3. using an Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR)
OTDRs should not be used in place of a power meter/light source to measure system
attenuation. Testing should be done at both appropriate wavelengths for the fiber type multimode fiber at 850/1300 nm and single- mode fiber at 1310/1550 nm - and bidirectionally. The VFL is used to determine if a fiber is broken and can often be used to find the
point of the break.
Power meter test equipment and the one patch cord method (OLTS)
The power-meter-and-light-source method is the most accurate way to measure attenuation. TIA
outlines testing procedures in documents 526-14A (multimode)* and 526-7 (single-mode).
Hybrid patch cords can be used to connect the test equipment to the link. Thoroughly clean the
patch cord connectors and adapters with a solution of 97% isopropyl alcohol and dry them
with a lint-free cloth. (Note that the integrity of the test cords should be determined as many
failing test results can be traced back to dirty or worn out test cords.)

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Exact testing methods will differ with each power meter and its features, but this is the basic
process for OLTS testing for one fiber at a time. Many OLTS units have dual transmitters and
receivers that allow for testing two fibers at a time. This speeds up testing time, but the installer
should still rely on the same basic method of Step 1) patch cord reference, Step 2) patch cord
check and Step 3) system test.
Step 1: Connect the light source and the power meter with a test patch cord. Record the
displayed optical power (P1) called the reference power measurement OR zero-out the
power meter if so equipped.

CommScope Inspection Kit

Step 2: Disconnect the test patch cord from the optical power meter; DO NOT detach the patch
cord from the light source. Add the second patch cord to the test meter port and connect to the
first patch cord. Measure the total loss. If greater than 0.5 dB, the patch cord connectors must be
cleaned and retested. If cleaning does not produce a loss below 0.5 dB, than replace one or
both patch cords until a passing value is obtained. Do NOT reference out again at this step.
Step 3: Disconnect the two test patch cords from each other and connect to the ends of the
system link being tested. Use a previously tested and verified patch cord to connect the meter
to the other end of the link. Record the displayed optical power (P2) which is called the test
power measurement. The attenuation of the link is P1 - P2 or in this example (-10.0) - (-10.6) =
0.6 dB. In other words, this segment of the network will subtract 0.6 dB from the power budget
(some meters perform this function automatically).
*Multimode fiber may show attenuation because of power loss in high-order modes. During
testing, wrapping the patch cord five times around a mandrel (or smooth rod) of 25 mm
diameter for 50 m fiber and 20 mm for 62.5 m fiber removes these losses. Be sure to
unwrap the patch cord after testing. Refer to TIA/EIA 569 B.1 Section 11.3.3 for details.
Fiber Optic Performance Standards
Loss budgets
TIA specifies the following limits for insertion loss (attenuation) for the various parts of the
network. Loss values should be better than these if good craft practices have been followed
during installation.

106 www.commscope.com

TABLE 19: TIA 568 C COMPONENT AND LINK PERFORMANCE

Network part

Loss

Splice

0.3 dB insertion loss at all wavelengths

Connector pair

0.75 dB insertion loss at all wavelengths

Horizontal link (100 meters max.)

(maximum of 2 connector pairs)

2.0 dB insertion loss at 850/130 nm

Horizontal link (100 meters max.)

w/consolidation point (splice or connector)

2.75 dB insertion loss at 850/130 nm

Collapsed backbone link (300 meters max.)

(maximum of 3 connector pairs)

3.3 dB insertion loss at 850/130 nm

For example, if all the pairs in a three-connector-pair link with a consolidation point were tested
at the permitted maximum of 0.75 dB, the loss would be an allowable 0.75 dB x 3 or 2.25
dB. Ideally, a connector pair should produce no more than 0.5 dB of loss.
It is important to note that loss values must be as low as possible for links with extended lengths
(links beyond TIA standards). The budgets above refer to TIA standard recommendations.
Many CommScope products offer performance tighter than the standard. Please refer to the
specification guides and/or link loss calculator to determine the loss budgets.
Documentation
Every link should be documented by recording attenuation values at the tested wavelengths, the
date of test, the name(s) of the test personnel, the date of latest equipment calibration and a
description of equipment used (manufacturer and model number). Some power meters record
and download test results. In either case, store all test results with the as-built drawings.
Keep hard copies of this documentation.
Fiber Optic Troubleshooting
Test equipment
Improper calibration (also called improper baseline setup) is a common reason for a link to
indicate high loss. Follow the instructions above to be certain that your test equipment has been
set to the proper wavelength, that your test patch cords are good and that the equipment has
been properly set for the test to be performed. Review TIA/EIA 455-50B for detailed
instructions on launch requirements for the light source being used.
TIA/EIA-568 C.0 Annex E suggests that a mandrel wrap and a Category 1 light source be
used when testing multimode fiber. This holds true whether the system is expected to operate at
low data rates with an LED as the power source, or if the system is expected to operate a 1- or
10-gigabit Ethernet with a VCSEL as the source.
Failure to use the mandrel on short lengths with the Category 1 light source will result in
measurement errors. All test equipment should be calibrated and certified annually (or more
often as required).
Connector loss
Unacceptable power loss can occur due to poor connectorization or a lack of connector-toconnector contact at the adapter. Visually inspect all the connectors in the link for damage.
Clean all connector faces with a solution of 97% isopropyl alcohol and dry them with a lint-free
cloth. A CommScope inspection kit contains all of the items needed to inspect and clean
optical connectors.

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